Bruins reward Noel Acciari with one-way contract

Wednesday

Jun 28, 2017 at 8:40 PMJun 28, 2017 at 8:42 PM

Mike Loftus The Patriot Ledger

The news is sure to be a hit with fans and teammates, but few others.

Noel Acciari has a one-way contract.

The Bruins announced on Wednesday that Acciari, their 5-foot-10, 208-pound wrecking ball forward, had signed a two-year deal at $725,000 per season. The Rhode Island native who captained Providence College to the 2014-15 NCAA championship was scheduled to become a restricted free agent on Saturday.

Unlike the two-year deal he signed with the B’s as a free agent on June 8, 2015 (Acciari wasn’t drafted), this contract doesn’t include a reduced salary if he is assigned to AHL Providence. The Bruins can do so in 2017-18 without having to put him through waivers (not the case in 2018-19), but awarding Acciari the one-way deal indicates they expect him to stay in the NHL.

“I’m very excited … for the opportunity to be part of it for another two years,” Acciari told a pool reporter.

Although he has played only 48 regular-season games at the NHL level, Acciari has established himself as a notorious, consistent hitter. His 2.7 hits-per-game average over 19 games as a rookie in 2015-16 ranked third among Bruins, and last year’s 2.8 per ranked second to David Backes’ 3.1. Although an injury and an assignment to the P-Bruins limited Acciari to 29 NHL games last season, his 80 hits ranked third among B’s forwards, ninth overall.

“That part of my game is not going to change,” he promised. “That will be with me for the rest of my career – and I like to chip in with goals and points whenever I can.”

Acciari’s struggle to score (one assist in 19 games as a rookie, no goals and two assists though his first 19 games last season) ultimately resulted in assignment to Providence shortly after he recovered from a lower-body injury that cost him 14 games this past season. Over 29 games with the P-Bruins, Acciari put up six goals and 13 points, earned a recall to Boston on March 19, and scored his first two NHL goals, plus one assist, in the next 10 games. After returning from an upper-body injury that cost him a total of three games, Acciari played the final four games of the Bruins’ six-game, first-round series against the Senators, netting his first NHL playoff goal while assuming a prominent role as a penalty killer.

“Last year was an up-and-down season,” he said. “I think going down (to Providence) was a great help.

“I just want to make sure I can start (2017-18) how I ended last year, with the confidence I had, and make sure I’m ready for any situation.”